Music
Home > Music > Musicology > Tutorials > Film music
Film music
written by Anne Wisdom
Music for radio, film, television and multi-media is a popular topic with many students in Music 1. The internet is a source of invaluable information for this topic. The following sites are useful starting points for your research.
Film
Score Monthly
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com 
SoundtrackNet
http://www.soundtrack.net/
The Movie Sounds Page
http://www.moviesounds.com/
Movie List
http://www.movie-list.com/
The
function of music in films
Music fulfills many different functions in film. This article focuses on two of the ways in which music can be used:
- contributing to the development of the plot (for example Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and
- contributing to the development of a character (for example Star Wars).
Find out more about the role of music in film, by reading The Functions of Film Music by Yair Oppenheim. You will find this article in the online film magazine Film Score Monthly. It is located at:
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/functions.asp
Research
Make a list of the different functions of film music outlined in Oppenheim's article.
Case study 1
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
In Close Encounters of the Third Kind a musical motif takes on a pivotal role in the plot. The whole film is based around a simple five note motif which functions as a code, heralding the interaction between humans and the aliens.
The transformations of this motif, contribute significantly to the story line. For instance, when the humans attempt to make contact with the aliens, it goes through a number of variations. These include changing the register, placing some of the notes in different octaves, and varying the tone colour through instrumentation.
Steven Spielberg describes the music as being like an additional character in the movie. The five note theme used in Close Encounters functions as a form of communication in the film. The aliens communicate though lights, colours and notes.
The
motif is a signal that takes on the role of a greeting. The composer,
John Williams went through hundreds of permutations of five notes to
come up with the final combination of notes.
Research activity
Go to the following website to listen to the Close Encounters motif.
Play the MIDI file and then notate it.
Fresh
MIDIs - Close Encounters of The Third Kind
http://freshmidis.com/subs/close_encounters_of_the_third_kind.htm
Research the role of the soundtrack in this Close Encounters of the Third Kind by accessing the following websites.
View
the trailer at:
SoundtrackNet
http://www.soundtrack.net/
View
images and listen to audio files at:
SciFlicks.com
http://www.sciflicks.com/close_encounters/
Read
the interview with Steven Spielberg on Close Encounters of the Third
Kind at:
http://www.aristarec.com/aristaweb/Soundtracks/close_encounters/artist_index.html
Case study 2
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
The Star Wars films are good examples of the way in which a score can comment on a film. One of the functions of the music in these films is to show character development through the music. Composer John Williams carried this idea through the Star Wars Trilogy and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Some of the devices he used to achieve this are outlined in the following examples.
Luke Skywalker
The theme reflects the youth and innocence of the character. Williams achieved this by through flourishes and ascending phrases, particularly in the strings, giving the theme a sense of hope and innocence. As Luke overcomes the odds against him and becomes the hero, his theme is orchestrated with trumpets and transformed into a march with an uplifting, heraldic quality. This reinforces his maturity, newly found confidence, and strength.
Darth Vader
The theme has a striking melody and is immediately associated with the character. The use of brass indicates his military bearing, authority and ominous presence. His threatening quality is emphasised by the use of a minor mode. These elements combined result in a military, ceremonial march.
Anakin
"My task was to make the music of The Phantom Menace feel that it belonged to the other three films, but was new to this piece. One of the nice elements was that Anakin (Jake Lloyd) — who, as we know, is to metamorphose into Darth Vader — needed a theme. If you listen to Anakin's theme, people say, "Ah, it must be Darth Vader." I decomposed Darth Vader's Imperial March, and tried very subtly to introduce a slight hint of what he's to become in the "
John Williams - interview
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/williams.asp
Further information on the Star Wars films can be found at the following sites:
Starwars:the
official site
http://www.phantommenace.com
Starwars.com
http://www.starwars.com/episode-i
John Williams Site
http://www.johnwilliams.org
Composer Williams busy with Star Wars, by Ian Spelling
http://www.thedailycamera.com
Moviesounds.com
http://www.moviesounds.com/phantom.html
Movielist.com
http://www.movie-list.com/s/starwars1.shtml
Composition activity 1
1.
Go to http://www.movie-list.com/s/starwars1.shtml to view a series of 30 second and 15 second film clips that introduce
eight of the characters from Starwars: The Phantom Menace.
2. Compose a piece of music that reflects the character in one of the film clips you have viewed. Try to select compositional devices that will highlight these traits.
Composition activity 2
Another method of composition is to create a storyboard.
1.
Go to http://www.moviesounds.com/phantom.html where you can listen to short grabs of dialogue from Starwars: The
Phantom Menace which can be sequenced into a short story. Using
these short sound clips as a model, devise and record some short phrases
of dialogue for the characters. Use the sound recorder on your computer
to create these wave files.
2. Once you have selected a number of characters in this way, follow the links to the official site and select Episode 1 snapshots.
Select one of these series of images and use them as a model to create your own sci-fi characters. For example, you could draw them, create a collage, use old photographs or create them in a computer program.
3. Arrange the images on a storyboard, and play the wave files in sequence. Alternatively, if you have created your images on the computer, insert both the images and wave files in sequence into a program such as Powerpoint, to create your storyboard.
4. Compose a piece which incorporates some of the compositional devices used in the Star Wars films and perform it to accompany the storyboard/slide show.
|